Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Accordingly, in the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by increasing the entertainment value and excitement for the player.
One concept employed to increase the entertainment value of a reel spinning game is a bonus feature, providing the player with a different game experience occurring randomly during play of the basic game. Typically, a predetermined symbol or set of symbols in the basic reel game triggers a bonus feature. Bonus features take on a variety of themes and in many cases require the player to make choices that typically instill a feeling of control or self-destiny. Often times, games make random selections during bonus features and this method offers excitement because the player anticipates the outcome but cannot be sure because the result is controlled by the element of chance.
A concept often found in bonus features today is the random selection of individual animated characters or elements that potentially provide the player with a winning outcome. In many cases, the element selection results in immediate feedback to the player of an award, a loss, or the completion of the bonus feature. In many games, the player is awarded a certain number of selections and when the selections are completed, the bonus feature ends.
An alternative to the individual element selection method that allows multiple elements to be selected at one time would increase the entertainment value of the bonus feature.